By Charlotte Amuge
President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo has taken over the chairmanship of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region during the blocโs 9th Ordinary Summit held on 15 November 2025 at the Palais du Peuple in Kinshasa.
The summit, held under the theme โConsolidating Peace and Security for Sustainable Development in the Great Lakes Region,โ was attended by five heads of state from Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, DRC and the Republic of Congo. Uganda was represented by Minister of State for Defence and Veteran Affairs, Hon. Huda Oleru, on behalf of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
This was the first in-person ICGLR summit since 2020. Delegates confirmed the appointment of Dr. Mubita Luwabelwa of Zambia as the new Executive Secretary, replacing Ambassador Joao Caholo of Angola. The meeting also marked the formal handover of the chairmanship from Angola to the DRC.
During the opening ceremony, UN Secretary Generalโs Representative Mr. Huang Xia called for an end to hostilities in Eastern DRC and stressed the need to guarantee humanitarian access to conflict-affected areas.
In his acceptance speech, President Tshisekedi said his leadership of the ICGLR would uphold the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-aggression. He also said the region must reject all support for armed groups while remaining open to dialogue that includes women, youth, local authorities and affected communities.
Ugandaโs head of delegation, Hon. Oleru, thanked the outgoing chair and outgoing Executive Secretary for their leadership. She highlighted the threat posed by the ADF to Uganda and the wider region and acknowledged DRCโs cooperation in Operation Shujja. She urged member states to strengthen support for the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism to help neutralize armed groups.
Hon. Oleru said regional security challenges in Sudan and South Sudan require closer attention from the ICGLR. She called for deeper economic integration, improved intra-regional trade and stronger infrastructure links to drive socioeconomic transformation. She emphasized job creation, youth and womenโs empowerment, skills development and poverty reduction as essential for lasting peace. She also warned that natural resources must not be used to finance armed groups.
A closed session later adopted the Kinshasa Declaration, intended to guide regional peace efforts and align them with ongoing processes in Doha, Washington and the African Union initiative led by President Gnassingbe of Togo.
